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'On The Record': Russell Simmons' disturbing history of rapes and abuse of power has been ignored for far too long

Following the accusations, Simmons has reportedly fled to Bali, which has no extradition treaty with the US
PUBLISHED MAY 27, 2020
(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

The #MeToo movement was a generational one. It exposed decades-worth of sexual exploitation from some of the entertainment industry's biggest names that many, until then, had to chalk off as a "rite of passage" of sorts. For the longest time, it was either that or face the prospect of never working in the industry again.

The movement broke the mould and made thousands of women feel they were no longer alone in their fight against what can only be described as institutional injustice. And then, the other shoe dropped. One by one, the guilty were slowly but surely ushered out of their cushy positions.

Harvey Weinstein was the first to go, and then the rest followed. Celebrities, CEOs, politicians, sportspersons. No one was spared. Or so it seemed.

A few years on from when it first came to the fore, it's become increasingly evident that the music industry, arguably where systemic misogyny is the most prevalent, is seemingly immune to the movement's advances.

Yes, the likes of Michael Jackson, R. Kelly, Ryan Adams, Kodak Black, Damon Dash, and more have all been named in allegations, but how many have, forgive the pun, faced the music? And nowhere is this nonchalance in prosecution more apparent than in the case of Russell Simmons, a man lovingly referred to as 'Godfather of Hip-Hop,' but who has been accused of sexual assault and misconduct by 20 women.

Simmons is a legend in the music industry, to put it lightly. He co-founded hip-hop music label Def Jam Recordings in 1983 alongside Rick Rubin and discovered countless artists who not only made a big name of themselves but also personally credited him for their achievements. 

Simmons has been accused of sexual assault by 20 women (Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

But as it was explored in HBO's upcoming documentary, 'On the Record,' his time at the company was not without controversy, and none felt his malignant influence more than Drew Dixon, at-the-time an up-and-comer who was making waves in the music industry.

Dixon quickly rose to the position of Director of A & R, which put her in direct contact with Simmons, and following her work on the highly successful 'The Show' — a documentary featuring Tupac, Method Man, Red Man, and more — she found herself attracting the music producer's unwanted affection.

She revealed he started by trying to kiss her in his office but then escalated to exposing himself to her soon after. She said he always seemed very apologetic for his behavior when he was chastized, but that he would do it again a few days later as if nothing had happened. 

In 1995, Simmons went a step further: rape. Dixon said, after a night out, he enticed her into coming to his apartment by telling her he had a demo she could not afford to ignore. He then directed her to the bedroom, where she found him standing naked, wearing nothing but a condom.

Drew Dixon attends the 2020 Sundance Film Festival for 'On The Record' Premiere (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)

When she tried to run, he pinned her to the bed, told her to stop fighting in a cold, menacing, detached voice, and had his way with her. She blacked out, only to wake up in the bathtub with him, naked. Oblivious to her disgust, he then told her that they would "f*** all the time."

It all but ended her career at Def Jam, and she wasn't the only one. 

Sherri Hines, who was a part of the first all-female rap group Mercedes Ladies that was signed to the record label, had a startlingly similar story to share. Sher said Simmons asked to see her at his office, then pinned her to the couch, dropped his pants, and "took what he wanted."

Sil Lai Abrams, a former executive assistant at Def Jam, recalled that Simmons had been a good friend before he betrayed her. Having just come back into the country from Italy, Abrams had asked him for help only to have him pull the moves on her. When she resisted, he assured her that he would not "take anything she did not give him."

She trusted his assurances and went back to his apartment after he offered her a place to crash. But as she slept on his bed, he came out of the shower naked, wearing nothing but a condom. Her story's ending replicated that of Dixon's. She felt she had no choice but to quit not only Def Jam but the music industry as a whole.

Simmons, for his part, has denied all the allegations against him repeatedly (Getty Images)

Filmmaker Jennifer Jarosik, Screenwriter Jenny Lumet, and singer-turned lawyer Tiner Baker have also accused Simmons of rape, while model Keri Claussen Khalighi, publicist Kelly Cutrone, reality TV star Luann de Lesseps, Lisa Kirk, Toni Sallie, comedian Amanda Seales, and actress Natasha Williams-Blach have all alleged he sexually harassed or assaulted them.

Unfortunately, many of the accusations against him fall outside the statute of limitations, and Simmons, for his part, has denied all the allegations against him repeatedly.

"I have issued countless denials of the false allegations against me," he recently said in a statement. "I have lived my life honorably as an open book for decades, devoid of any kind of violence against anyone."

Shanita Hubbard, Kierna Mayo, Sheri Hines, Drew Dixon, Sil Lai Abrams and Joan Morgan (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)

But if it were true, why did he move to Bali, where there is no extradition treaty to the US? Or why would he reportedly try and intimidate Oprah Winfrey into abandoning her role as an executive producer on 'On The Record'? Oprah's name on the documentary would have undoubtedly lent it an instant gravity, but instead, she chose to pull out of it a week before it premiered at the Sundance Festival on January 25. She later cited "creative differences".

The makers have gone ahead without her, lending a voice to the many women who have had their dreams destroyed and lives changed irreversibly because of Simmons' alleged misdeeds.

The documentary is set to premiere on HBO Max on May 27, upon which it is going to ask the music producer some difficult questions that, if history is any indicator, he will not answer.

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